The 2022 edition of the preseason basketball tournament will kick off on January 28 and run through February 6, the Rwanda Basketball Federation (Ferwaba) has confirmed. In an interview with Times Sport, Landry Jabo, Ferwaba’s Executive Director, said the federation has received permission from the Ministry of Sports to organise competitions. He noted that the new season will get underway in March, after the national team has finished playing in the first window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers that take place late February in Senegal. This year will also mark the first edition of the second division league. It is tentatively scheduled to start on March 12, and Times Sport understands that teams are still registering to take part. The competition will feature new teams as well as those that were relegated from the first division, which are: Espoir, UGB, IPRC Musanze, UR Huye and UR CMHS. Rwanda Energy Group (REG) basketball will go into the new season as the defending champions having defeated Patriots in the best-of-three playoff finals of the 2020/21 league campaign at Kigali Arena. The energy group’s side have also won the last four editions of the annual preseason tournament.